What foods to give cats?

Dr. Marie replied:

Thanks for a great question!

You will likely get a different answer to this question depending on who you ask, but I'll give you my opinion on foods.

I usually like to feed a mixture of wet and dry food. What I do with my cats is leave dry out all day and give them wet in the morning. (However, some overweight cats can't do this because they pig out all day on the dry food - In this case you would measure out dry food morning and night.) The dry food will help with their teeth and the wet food will help get fluid through their kidneys (as most cats don't drink enough).

As far as brands go, I am a fan of Royal Canin, Iams and Science diet. I do not tend to like most of the holistic or organic foods out there. While some of them may be good, I have seen far too many animals with digestive issues when on these foods.

The amount you feed them depends on their weight and which food you choose. All of the foods mentioned above will have a guide on the food that tells you how much to feed according to the cat's weight. I usually find that this guide is a little on the high side, so stick to the low end of what is recommended. Make sure you use a measuring cup to measure the food out rather than guestimating.

After a few months of feeding one of these foods if Bernie is gaining weight then you may need to go to a light formulation. Most good foods will have a low-cal or light formulation you can use.

I hope all goes well with your new cats!

Dr. Marie.

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